Filenews 14 December 2025 - by Andreas Katsis
With the recent selection of the EXCELSIOR project and the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence by the European Commission, as one of the seven flagship projects of the Science4EU campaign, Cyprus is now dynamically positioned on the international map of space technology and Earth Observation. The Managing Director of the Center and Professor of the CUT, Diophantos Hatzimitsis, speaks exclusively to "Fileleftheros", about the importance of this recognition, the technologies developed by ERATOSTHENES, the applications that improve the daily lives of citizens – from natural disasters to precision agriculture – and his great vision to make Cyprus a regional hub of space innovation.
-The recent recognition of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence and the EXCELSIOR project by the EU is an important milestone for Cyprus. Would you like to tell us a little more about this?
-It is a special honour and an important distinction, both for Cyprus and for the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), to participate in the European Commission's "Science4EU" campaign. In total, seven research projects from across the EU were selected to participate in this initiative, which highlights how science and innovation improve people's lives. Among them is the European project EXCELSIOR Horizon 2020 Teaming, through which the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence was established, dynamically placing Cyprus on the European map of research and space technology.
-What does this European recognition mean in practice for Cyprus?
-This recognition is a vote of confidence in our country's research capabilities and proves that Cyprus now has a Center of Excellence of international standards, with access to global technology and knowledge networks, advanced infrastructure and strong international collaborations. The ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence, founded in 2020 and based in Limassol, has already created more than 120 new jobs, in enhancing innovation and establishing Cyprus as a regional research hub in fields related to Earth Observation, Space Technology, Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics for the systematic monitoring of the natural and built environment.
-Explain to us what the EXCELSIOR H2020 Teaming project is and which organizations are involved.
-The EXCELSIOR (Excellence Research Centre for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment) project was funded under the Horizon 2020 – Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation / Teaming Phase 2 program, with a total investment of more than €38 million. Specifically, €15 million comes from the EU, €15 million from the Republic of Cyprus and €8 million from the CUT. The project, coordinated by CUT, had as its main objective the transformation of the Remote Sensing and Geoenvironment Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geoinformatics Engineering of the School of Engineering and Technology into an ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence.
Partners of the project, in addition to CUT, are the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence, the Department of Electronic Communications of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the National Observatory of Athens (BEYOND/NOA) and the TROPOS Institute (Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research) in Leipzig. Partners include, but are not limited to, CyRIC and the World Radiation Center PMOD/WRC (Davos, Switzerland). The ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence through the EXCELSIOR project has already developed partnerships with more than 1,000 international organizations, including leading agencies such as NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Israeli Space Agency, establishing ERATOSTHENES as a strategic hub for Earth Observation and Space Technologies in the wider Eastern Mediterranean region.
-What does the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence do and how are the satellite data collected by the Center used in practice?
-The ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence is Cyprus' leading body in Earth Observation and Space Technology and is active in a wide range of activities, with an emphasis on the following three areas:
- Environment and Climate (atmosphere, agriculture, water resources management, land use, etc.)
- Resilient Societies (earthquakes, floods, fires, landslides, energy, maritime surveillance, management of archaeological sites, etc.)
- Big Geo-Data Analysis (artificial intelligence, geoinformatics, etc.)
The satellite data we collect allows real-time monitoring of the environment. Space technologies are integrated into the daily lives of citizens, providing useful data and information and covering a wide range of applications. Some examples concern the way we are informed about natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, landslides, floods), we identify and classify vegetation (e.g. agricultural crops), we highlight and protect cultural heritage, we identify oil spills in the sea, we map the Posidonia meadows, we calculate the burned areas after fires, we monitor and record phenomena such as floods, we record the changes in the use and coverage of the Earth through the analysis of time series of satellite images, as well as we detect water losses in large water supply pipelines.
ERATOSTHENES is at the forefront of information and the data it collects and analyzes, with satellite and terrestrial means, are an essential tool for the competent bodies, allowing the drawing of conclusions and the determination of the next steps. In this direction, the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence is the Regional Support Office (RSO) of the United Nations program "United Nations Space Information Platform for Disaster Management and Emergency Response" (UN-SPIDER) in Cyprus. This office is a regional and/or national centre of expertise that collaborates with UN-SPIDER for technical advisory support, capacity building and outreach for the use of data from Space to reduce disaster risk in Cyprus and the wider region.
What technologies has ERATOSTHENES developed and how are they used in our daily lives?
-ERATOSTHENES has developed technologies and applications such as PRECiRRi, a tool for calculating irrigation needs, applied and used in the largest citrus farm in Cyprus, "the Cyprus Phassouri Plantations Co. Ltd". The PRECiRRi technology combines satellite and meteorological data, utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, to provide personalized irrigation recommendations, thus contributing to the sustainable management of water resources, which is a priority given the current conditions of prolonged drought and water scarcity.
The use of the PRECiRRi app can lead to water savings ranging from 20% to 40%, while reducing energy and fertilization costs. In addition, it allows farmers to receive information on the water requirements of their parcel on a daily basis, with an application on their mobile phone, adapting management based on the actual needs of their crop, taking into account factors such as the phase and type of cultivation and climatic conditions. We have also developed another application, called NaDiRisk, which focuses on assessing vulnerability to natural disasters, i.e. it gives an assessment of the risk to earthquakes, floods, landslides and fires in infrastructure and buildings.
The information provided is useful to various actors for both decision-making and policy-making. At the same time, we have developed the Cyprus Earth Observation Data Cube, which allows both researchers and competent bodies to analyze multidimensional satellite images and make informed decisions on critical environmental issues. In addition, Rust Alert System technology has been developed for the early detection of rust damage to critical infrastructure and tools for monitoring and protecting archaeological sites, using radar, 3D laser scanning and satellite imagery, contributing both to the protection of the environment and cultural heritage and to the enhancement of safety and economic sustainability. Some of the technological solutions we have developed have already been completed and are being successfully used in the local market, while there is growing interest in making them available in other countries.
-What entrepreneurship actions does ERATOSTHENES support and what is the importance of the space economy?
-The space economy is growing rapidly internationally and Cyprus has the potential to acquire an active role. The Space Business Incubation Centre (Space BIC), the first space technology incubator in the country, implemented by the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, contributes to this. Space BIC supports startups and research teams that leverage satellite data and space technologies to develop innovative solutions. The teams that join will receive funding of up to €50,000, international mentoring, access to investment networks and support at all stages of development. For the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence, connecting research with the market is a strategic priority. Through Space BIC we create new opportunities, strengthen the space technology ecosystem and contribute substantially to the development of the country, opening the way to new markets and new sources of economic activity.
Applications of Vital Importance for the Environment and Climate
-What are the basic infrastructures in which the ERATOSTHENES Center of Excellence has invested?
-The most recent and decisive investment is the Earth Observation Satellite Data Receiving Antenna (DAS), a unique infrastructure for Cyprus worth €3.9 million, installed in the infrastructure of CYTA. The antenna has the ability to simultaneously receive data in three frequency bands from low-orbit satellites, covering both current and future satellite missions. The provision of near-real-time satellite data significantly enhances the country's preparedness in critical areas such as natural disaster management, maritime surveillance, precision agriculture, and environmental monitoring.
An equally important infrastructure is the Cyprus Atmospheric Remote Sensing Observatory (CARO NF), worth €2 million, which is the national infrastructure for the study of the atmosphere and is part of ACTRIS-ERIC, the only such infrastructure in the Eastern Mediterranean. With its state-of-the-art equipment, it contributes to the detailed recording of the atmosphere and the calibration of satellite missions such as ESA-JAXA's EarthCARE. The Centre has also developed the Cyprus Solar Network, with five ground stations to monitor solar radiation, including ultraviolet, supporting climate research, atmospheric science and solar energy.
-What are your next steps and vision for the future?
-One of the most important steps is the relocation of the Center to our new, state-of-the-art facilities in the area of Berengaria, in Kato Polemidia. This grandiose project, implemented by CUT, with a budget of more than €13.3 million plus VAT and financed by the European Investment Bank, will be completed within 18 months and will house both the Eratosthenes Center of Excellence and the Department of Civil Engineering and Geoinformatics Engineering of the School of Engineering and Technology of CUT. These infrastructures will allow us to house our research excellence and establish ourselves as an internationally recognized hub of space technology and geoinformatics, with Cyprus as a point of reference. We aspire to continue to act as a driver of growth for the country, transforming knowledge into vital applications, from environmental protection and climate monitoring, to strengthening the economy, agriculture and civil protection. In just five years, we have built a Center that serves as an example of how science and technology can be transformed into real value for society and the economy.
